South Korea to probe drones North Korea says violated its airspace

SEOUL, Jan 12 (Reuters) – South Korean authorities have launched an investigation focused on the possibility civilians may have flown drones that North Korea said violated its airspace, the Defence Ministry said on Monday.

President Lee Jae Myung has vowed a swift probe and said on Saturday if civilians had indeed operated the unmanned aircraft, it would be a “serious crime” that threatened South Korea’s security and peace on the Korean peninsula.

South Korea is willing to jointly conduct the investigation with North Korea but has not made the proposal, a defence ministry spokesperson said citing Minister Ahn Gyu-back. 

North Korea has not responded to previous attempts by Lee’s government to initiate dialogue. 

North Korea’s military on Saturday accused the South of “acts of provocation” by sending the drones, saying it had shot down the aircraft and disclosed what it said were pieces of the drones and aerial photos they took. 

South Korea’s military said it did not operate the drone model in question or operate any on the date cited by the North of the intrusion. It had no intention to provoke the North, it said.

Tensions frequently flare up between South Korea and its nuclear-armed northern neighbour.

Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol went on trial on Monday on charges of trying to provoke North Korea in 2024 as a pretext for declaring martial law later that year. He is facing a separate trial for insurrection over the martial law attempt. 

(Reporting by Jack Kim; Editing by Lincoln Feast)